Statement of AAI President James Zogby on President Trump’s Executive Action on Immigration and Refugee Admissions

The Executive Order issued today by President Trump is wrong on so many levels.

President Trump's order to ban the entry of individuals from Arab and Muslim-majority countries to the U.S. is a misguided act that will deny millions of Americans the opportunity to be visited by their parents, siblings, and other family members.

Similarly, there is the President's decision to suspend our nation's refugee program. With one broad stoke, he has slammed the door on tens of thousands of innocents fleeing persecution and seeking refuge in our country. This heartless act is not based on security concerns, since those applying for refugee status already go through a rigorous vetting process. Rather, it is based on fear and prejudice and is a stain on our nation's honor.

The policies outlined are contrary to what we know to be true. Americans welcome immigrants and they welcome refugees.

The next time President Trump is in New York he should go to Ellis Island and read the Emma Lazarus poem inscribed on the Statue of Liberty - "Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free..." For the tens of millions of Americans who are immigrants and the descendants of immigrants, those words define the meaning of our nation and our promise to the world. In one day, our new president has broken that promise, damaged our nation's meaning, and reduced the Lady in the Harbor to tears.